SWANA Heritage Month

Join us this April as we celebrate Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) Heritage Month!

While this month of commemoration has been observed under various names, such as Arab American Heritage Month or Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Heritage Month, the Palo Alto City Library aims to be inclusive of the many diverse peoples and cultures that span the Southwest Asian and North African region. SWANA is a geographical and apolitical term that many libraries and academic institutions have adopted to honor the numerous rich traditions and heritages of this vast region.

Book Recommendations:

Children:

• Picture Books for SWANA Heritage Month
• SWANA Heritage Month for Kids
• Middle Grade Books for SWANA Heritage Month

Teens:

• SWANA Heritage Month Books for Teens

Adults:

• SWANA Heritage Month: Adult Literature
• SWANA Heritage Month: Cookbooks
• SWANA Heritage Month: Arab American Book Awards

eLibrary Resources:

Access these resources for free with your library card!

• Check out LOTE4Kids for picture books featuring some of the languages spoken in SWANA countries including Arabic, Armenian, Dari, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Turkish and Hebrew
• Discover engaging beginner's courses on Mango Languages for the languages above and more, including Egyptian, Levantine, Iraqi Arabic dialects
• Explore Middle Eastern documentaries & films on Kanopy and Hoopla, opens a new window:

Enjoy these films featuring Southwest Asian and North African directors, producers, writers, and actors; available to borrow, download, or stream through the Palo Alto City Library.

View Full List

Additional Resources:

• Support the work of local Iranian artists who are part of the Cubberley Artist Studio Program:
  • Ala Mohseni
  • Nasim Moghadam
  • Kiana Honarmand
  • Rinconada Library Exhibition: Check out limited edition risograph prints of their work on display at Rinconada Library through April 29 as part of a group show featuring the City's Artists-in-Residence.
  • Open Studios: Meet the artists and tour their working studios at the next Open Studios event on Saturday, April 13 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cubberley Community Center. Artist studios are in the E, F, and U wings at the north end of the Center.
• The Persian World and West Asia Gallery at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco
• Bay Area Network of Muslim and Middle Eastern Artists StoryMap